I am interested
in identifying ways that private landowners, natural resource managers, urban
planners, and policy makers can conserve biodiversity in developing landscapes or restore biodiversity in developed
landscapes. To achieve these goals, I study how selective pressures on vertebrate
and plant populations change with development and in turn affect
vertebrate community composition. Most of these studies are field-based and
test hypotheses with correlative and experimental methods. My current research projects investigate the effects of (1) invasive Chinese privet on native plants and birds in Atlanta, (2) fisheries restoration on non-target species in Montana, and (3) succession of mixed forest on bird community composition in Minnesota's Superior National Forest. Al three projects provide
exciting opportunities for undergraduate participation
and independent study. Please contact me if you are interested in one of these
opportunities.